Democratic senators on the Armed Services Committee are considering an affidavit alleging that defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth threatened his second wife’s safety.
Fox News obtained an affidavit from Hegseth’s ex-sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, which says Hegseth had an alcohol abuse problem and caused his ex-wife Samantha to fear for his safety. It is said that there is. Daniel Hegseth was married to Pete Hegseth’s younger brother. She is not the sister of Pete Hegseth’s second wife, Samantha.
The affidavit has been provided to the Senate Armed Services Committee, which is currently considering it.
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Mr Hegseth denied all allegations. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Pete Hegseth’s attorney, Tim Parlatore, said in a statement to Fox News: “Sam has never claimed that any abuse occurred. She has signed court documents acknowledging that there was no abuse. I reaffirmed this in my recent interview with the FBI.” Dietrich, a far-left Democrat who is anti-Trump, is divorced from Hegseth’s brother and has not come to terms with the Hegseth family, but nothing has been done about it. Please change that.
“After an acrimonious divorce, Mr. Dietrich has an ax to grind against the entire Hegseth family. Mr. Dietrich admits he didn’t see anything, but now Sam has lied to both the court and the FBI.” “It’s private and undocumented,” she allegedly said 10 years ago. ”
Daniel Hegseth offered an anecdote in the document, recalling that Samantha once hid in a closet from her husband.
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Mr. Reed is a senior member of the Armed Services Committee. (Reuters)
However, Daniel Hegseth added that he did not personally witness any physical or sexual abuse of Samantha by Pete.
The affidavit provides additional anecdotes about Hegseth’s alleged heavy drinking, mentioning several specific occasions, including an incident at a strip club.
Daniel Hegseth also said in a memo that his former brother-in-law was not suitable to be defense secretary.
“As I have said for months, Mr. Hegseth’s sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and public misconduct,” Dr. Jack Reed, a ranking member of the committee, said in a statement. Reports of questionable history require a thorough background investigation. They are concerned that the background check process is inadequate, and this affidavit confirms my concerns.
“Mr. Hegseth’s pattern of abuse and misconduct is alarming. This conduct disqualifies service members from serving in military leadership positions, much less from being confirmed as Secretary of Defense.”
Samantha Hegseth denied physical abuse in a statement first reported by NBC News.
“There was no physical abuse in my marriage. This is the only statement I will make to you. I have told you that I do not and will not talk about my marriage to Pete. Please respect this decision,” she said. Said.
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Rosen said the affidavit confirms what they already knew. (Tom Brenner)
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada), a member of the committee, told reporters: “This is a very important question for us regarding Mr. Hegseth’s actions, the way he lived his life, and his opinions about women.” “It just confirms what we already know.” . ”
“So we’re going to let the Republicans make their own statement, which is that he’s absolutely 100 percent in this job, his temperament, his attitude, the sexual abuse that we have, the economic problems that we have, etc. “I think it confirms what we already know that % ineligible was a mismanagement,” she said.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), another member of the committee, told reporters: “Let me tell you, there’s a lot in this affidavit, one of which is…” The department will disqualify candidates to lead the military.”
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But Republicans on the committee aren’t necessarily swayed by the allegations.
“This is a desperate last-ditch attempt by Democrats and the media to smear Pete Hegseth and block his nomination,” New Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., also on the committee, said of X. Pete’s ex-wife.” The claims are on record as false, but the media doesn’t care because they hurt Republicans. ”
Julia Johnson is a political writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, where she leads coverage of the U.S. Senate. She previously served as a political reporter for the Washington Examiner.
Follow Julia’s reporting on X. @juliaajohnson_ Send your tips to Julia.Johnson@fox.com.
